In order to get you ready for the opening of the 1940 census (April 2, 2012!), we're going to break the steps down one at a time, so that, instead of waiting, you can methodically get all of your ducks, ah, ancestors in a row. Remember that, although the census will be available at the National Archives and Records Administration site immediately, and several other sites in quick order, the census will not be indexed. Being prepared will save you a great deal of time once you finally get a chance to browse.

Your first step is to identify for whom you will be searching. Parents or grandparents? Siblings and cousins? At this point, create a file, paper or digital, on each person or family group, noting names, ages or birth dates and places, and where you think they might be living in 1939 or 1940. Check the files you already have, old letters and address books to see if you have possible addresses for them.

The "Exploring Origins.net" class has been rescheduled for the week of March Madness: Genealogy Style(March 18-24). This is a great fit for our week of ethnic genealogy research classes as the Origins database covers British, Irish, and Scots records. The class will discuss the many databases, CD products, research articles and other resources available through The Genealogy Center’s subscription to the Origins Network. So visit us on Wednesday, March 21, from 10 am - 11 am in Meeting Room A for "Exploring Origins.net."

And stay for an informal discussion in the afternoon with the Daughters of the American Revolution concerning patriots of all ethnic backgrounds who participated in the Revolution. The discussion is scheduled for 2 pm entitled "It Was Everyone's War."

Please register for these informative sessions by calling 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

You may have noticed recently on our facebook page and website that we will be closed on Friday, February 10. The Genealogy Center, along with the entire Allen County Public Library, will be closed for Staff Development Day. We will be open Thursday, February 9, from 9 am - 9 pm and Saturday, February 11, from 9 am - 6 pm. Though we are closed on February 10, we will be open on Presidents Day, Monday, February 20, so take advantage of a long research weekend over the Presidents Day weekend!

Unfortunately, the Exploring Origins.net class scheduled for Wednesday, February 8, from 2:30 - 3:30 pm has been canceled. The Genealogy Center will offer more classes on ethnic genealogy research during our March Madness: Genealogy Style sessions the week of March 18-24.

Family historians and academic researchers visiting The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, now have access to an online digital archive of historical court records, maps, books, newspapers and periodicals from the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe that focus on the topics of slavery and abolition. The new database, “Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive,” is comprised of documents previously available only on microfilm or at academic institutions. One of the collections available through this database is “Debates over Slavery and Abolition,” which covers the history of slavery from the 16th century to 1888 and the resistance that led to abolition. Another collection, “Slave Trade in the Atlantic World,” records the history and impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade in numerous countries. These records not only document the history of slavery, but also illustrate effects on women and children, as well as the religious and legal issues involved. Researchers can utilize this unique and informative collection of databases in The Genealogy Center and at any Allen County Public Library location through the On-Site Databases tab on The Genealogy Center’s website.

Who Do You Think You Are, the first program since the 1970s miniseries Roots to bring genealogy to mainstream television, begins its third season Friday, February 3rd at 8 p.m., EST, on NBC. Produced by Shed Media U.S. and the production company Is or Isn’t Entertainment, owned by Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky, Who Do You Think You Are follows the steps of celebrities as they, with the help of genealogical professionals, discover their roots. Featured in this season’s episodes will be Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Jason Sudeikis and Paula Deen.

To learn more about the third season or to watch episodes from the second season, visit Who Do You Think You Are at NBC.com.

By the late 1990s, it was obvious that the entire Allen County Public Library system needed more space. Tentative plans were made, and a petition drive to gather Allen County property owners' signatures in support of a bond to pay for an expansion of the Main Library facility and improvements for most branches began on September 11, 2001. Many local citizens, young and old, joined in the campaign.

After the bond initiative passed, plans were made to leave the Main Library while it was undergoing its renovation. The Genealogy Department was the first of the Main Library agencies to close leaving empty shelves...

...and leaving behind the card catalog.

Books were loaded onto large carts and wrapped in plastic for the ride...

As you know, the 1940 census will be available at the Archives.com website for free on April 2, 2012. Because no one will have access to it before that time, no index will be available on April 2nd. However, groups all over the country are making plans now for legions of volunteers to begin the indexing of the census. For example, the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana is lining up society members to index the 1940 census for Allen County, Indiana. And on a larger scale, Archives.com, Family Search.org and findmypast.com are teaming up to compile an index for the 1940 Census Community Project. Both the large and the small projects will constitute great contributions to the genealogical community as a whole. Let's all see how we can help.

The Genealogy Center will provide photocopies of these announcements for a fee of $2.50 per notice. Send a request to Genealogy@ACPL.Info, along with the citation ("Evangelical Messenger" marriage, date and page), along with your name and mailing address. The copy will be sent within several weeks with a bill. It should be noted, however, that the index often contains all pertinent information.

If you are seeking a marriage in Pennsylvania, take a few minutes to check this wonderful source.

The Genealogy Center is happy to announce a new facet to our web presence: State and Subject Snapshots! Snapshots are listings of some of the most vital volumes in
our collection, organized by location or subject to aid you in your research
here in The Genealogy Center. Providing only the bare bones (titles and call
numbers) for locating these wonderful sources, Snapshots are for specific
states, foreign countries, including provinces in Canada, ethnic, religious and
general subject guides. For years, these Snapshots have been available only
in-house, but are now available to aid you in preparing in advance for your
research visit. State and Subject Snapshots are located under the Pathfinders tab on The Genealogy Center website.

Genealogists know that federal census schedules are not available for
viewing by the general public for 72 years after they are taken. 2012 marks the
year that the next set of census schedules - those for 1940 - will be released
for public viewing and research! This release takes place 2 April 2012 and will
be different than any previous census's unveiling. The 1940 census will be
available on microfilm, as previous years' schedules were, but due to its high
cost in this format, few agencies will purchase the film. Instead, it will debut
in the form of digital images online at the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) website on the release date of 2 April, followed quickly
by its appearance at Archives.com, FamilySearch.org and other sites. Initially, the census
images will not be searchable by name, but viewers will be able to browse them.
Various groups are undertaking the indexing of the schedules so that ultimately
they will be searchable by name and other variables.

The Genealogy Center is creating classes about the 1940 census that will
be presented on several dates in March and April. In addition, we will share
tips about the census here on our blog and on our Facebook page. Please share in
our excitement as we count down the days until this milestone source is
revealed!

The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library contains – as you might expect - a very large collection for our own Allen County. A myriad of congregational records, both Christian and Jewish, for Fort Wayne and rural Allen County, have been photocopied and added to the collection over the years, together with a large collection of congregational histories and directories. Almost all of the older, pre-1900 congregations have placed copies of their records at the library. This is a benefit to researchers whose ancestors may have hopped from one congregation to another when moving about the city or county. Instead of traveling or writing to each church, all one needs to do is peruse our online catalog.

These records bring with them their own set of challenges, however. Some congregations have the same or very similar names. For example, there are two Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Churches, both in the Missouri Synod. One is located on St. Mary’s Avenue, the other on Decatur Road and is sometimes called Trinity Suburban. These congregations should not be confused with Trinity English Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Fort Wayne, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. In addition, there are two congregations known as Bethlehem: Bethlehem Lutheran and Suburban Bethlehem.

Finally, many congregations are now defunct or have merged with others and reorganized under new names. At one time, Wayne Street Methodist Episcopal, Berry Street Methodist Episcopal, and First Methodist Episcopal Church all were distinct congregations in Fort Wayne, each with their own separate sets of records. Adding to the complexity is the fact that some congregations attracted certain immigrant groups more than others.

Sorting out these complexities can be difficult, even when using our online catalog. The congregational histories on the Allen County USGenweb page can offer the researcher much guidance. We have tried to take that page one step further by creating a pathfinder to Allen County Congregations, which can be found under Pathfinders on our Genealogy Center homepage. Simply click on “Pathfinders” and scroll your mouse over “Allen County, Indiana Guides.” A number of options will appear on the right, including “Allen County Congregations.” Clicking on this link will take you to an annotated bibliography of congregational records. Under each you will find references to the types of records and their respective call numbers. Some congregations have additional annotations that go beyond the catalog and may be helpful to researchers. We are always adding new material, so keep checking the library catalog for new titles.

Our highly popular One-on-One Consultations are back for another year! Due to popular requests, we will offer the consultations on various days of the week throughout 2012, starting with January, February and March, when they will be on the last Thursdays of each month, from 2 PM to 4 PM.

The Consultations consist of 30 minutes of one-on-one time with a Genealogy Center staff member on some stumbling block in your research. If you are interested in taking advantage of this program, call 260-421-1225 or send an email to Genealogy@ACPL.Info. We need your name, email, a brief description of the background and challenge you face, and indicate which day would work best for you. We will check our schedule and get back to verify date and time for your consultation. Space is limited each month, so don't delay!

We have important information about construction that will affect you if your path to visit us is from north of Fort Wayne, perhaps exiting Interstate 69 at Exits 111 or 112. Beginning Monday January 16, 2012, construction will begin on the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge, which carries Clinton Street across the St. Mary's River on the north side of downtown Fort Wayne. While this construction will not halt traffic into the area, you should be prepared for a detour, and slightly heavier traffic.

The detour will begin on Clinton Street and Fourth, where you will make a right onto Fourth, to Harrison Street, where you will turn left. Both Fourth and Harrison Streets will be designated for one-way traffic during this period. Cross the river, then turn left again on Superior Street. Another right onto Clinton will take you back to the flow of the traffic.

Instead of turning onto Superior Street, you may remain on Harrison Street, which will go back to two-way traffic, an additional four blocks to Washington Boulevard, where you will turn right, the Allen County Public Library, with The Genealogy Center is just a block away.

This detour is slated to last about two weeks, although the weather may cause some delays.

On Friday, February 10, 2012, The Genealogy Center, like all agencies of the Allen County Public Library, will be closed for Staff Development Day. On this day, all ACPL employees will gather to learn new sources, and discover additional research techniques and products to enable us to assist you and all of our customers better in 2012. We will be open our regular hours the other days that week.

Beginning February 1, 2012, computer printouts at the Allen County Public Library will cost 10 cents per page, up from 5 cents. The change will make all copy charges uniform in preparation for the move to a single copy card that will allow patrons to photocopy printed material or to print data they find in a computer search. Photocopy charges have held steady at 10 cents per page for more than 32 years.

Have questions about how to locate a book at the library? Where are the call numbers? How to make a list? Find out all this and more by taking a virtual tour of The Genealogy Center catalog. This Genealogy Center's WinterTech class helps you learn more about technology that benefits family history research and is held at the Main Library in Meeting Room C on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, from 2:30-4:30 pm. For more information, see the WinterTech brochure. Please call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register.

In the late 1990s, The Genealogy Center expanded yet again. The Main Reading Room now encompassed the former display area just to the south, placing the reference desk more in the center of the area...

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Allen County Public Library will upgrade its PC Reservation System in order to be compatible with Windows 7. The upgrade requires a public computer outage for the entire day of January 4th. PC Reservation is the software that coordinates the usage on all of the public computers in The Genealogy Center and the Allen County Public Library System. With the upgrade, customers will have improved access to Office products, our databases, and the internet at The Genealogy Center.

If you plan to visit The Genealogy Center on January 4, 2012, please be aware of this outage--we will not have public computer access for the day. It will be a great opportunity, however, to take advantage of the more than one million items in our print and microtext collections. Before you arrive at the Center that day, search our print catalogor microtext catalogto plan your day of research. Bringing your own laptop, netbook, iPad or other tablet device will enable you to use all the licensed databases as well as the free databases offered in The Genealogy Center through the library’s Wifi service.